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We hope this has inspired you to make the most of this year’s social season, and in true British style, we trust the weather will be kind.
What's on
Your guide to the British social season 2022
April 28, 2022
For a distinctly British experience, take a look at the prestigious spring and summer events happening in and around London. It’s time to make room in your diary for the must-attend seasonal events you won’t want to miss.
MAY 4 – 8
Badminton Horse Trials
This event takes place at the beginning of the British social season in the grounds of Badminton House. With a history dating back over 70 years, it’s the world’s oldest and most prominent horse trial. Over five days, riders compete to impress judges in dressage, show-jumping and cross-country, before the top twenty take part in the final show-jumping test.
MAY 21 – AUGUST 28
Glyndebourne Festival
Each year brings a range of new and exciting operatic spectacles to this annual festival in the heart of the Sussex countryside, where exceptional opera is assured. This year’s attendees can enjoy the musical delights of Mozart’s comedy Le Nozze di Figaro and Puccini’s greatest love story La Bohème, to name but a few. Delicious dining also plays an integral part in the experience, including leisurely picnics in the sunshine.
MAY 24 – 28
RHS Chelsea Flower Show
Hosted by the Royal Horticultural Society, RHS Chelsea Flower Show is the pinnacle of the horticultural calendar, showcasing the best in innovative garden design as part of a charming five-day show. Visitors can enjoy a riot of creativity and colour over eight Show Gardens, nine Artisan Gardens, five Fresh Gardens, and more than 100 floral displays from the world’s best nurseries, growers and florists.
MAY – SEPTEMBER
Polo season
Polo is one the world’s oldest and most graceful sports, with players and fans from around the world flocking to England to enjoy the summer tournaments. The Cartier Queen’s Cup (May 17 – June 12) has been played at Guards Polo Club in Ascot since 1945 and is the highlight of the sport’s calendar, attracting the biggest names in the game, as well as high profile celebrities and royalty gathering to watch the final. Guards Polo Club also manages Coworth Park’s world-class polo grounds, making Coworth Park the only hotel in the UK with its own polo fields and practice facilities. A highlight of Coworth Park’s polo season is the Audi Polo Challenge Cup, with the HRH the Duke of Cambridge being a regular player.
JUNE 14 – 18
Royal Ascot
Taking place on Ascot Heath near Windsor, Royal Ascot is Britain’s most esteemed horse race meeting and arguably heralds the peak of the social season. Being a five-day ‘Royal Meeting’, the racing is of the highest standard but the event is renowned as a social event in its own right, with over 300,000 people attending each year. All visitors are dressed to impress and keen to catch a glimpse of The Royal family and The Royal Procession is a consistently iconic moment marking the start of each race day.
JUNE 27 – JULY 10
Wimbledon
The Championships, Wimbledon, are the highlight of the tennis calendar, hosted annually at the All England Lawn Tennis Club in London’s SW19. This two-week long tennis tournament is the oldest in the world and the only ‘Grand Slam’ to be played on grass courts. The event is synonymous with the British summer, strawberries, cream teas and Pimm’s. The matches take place across 19 courts but the event is celebrated over London with plenty of big screens popping up in town centres for all to join in the fun.
JUNE 28 – JULY 3
Henley Royal Regatta
The Henley Royal Regatta is an annual event dating back to 1839, where hundreds of rowing crews from around the world compete in head-to-head knock out competitions. Hosted on the River Thames in the Oxfordshire town of Henley, more than 250 races take place over five days, making this one of the world’s most famous regattas. During the event, the riverside is lined with a whole host of pop up restaurants, bars and shops.
JUNE TO AUGUST
Lord’s Test Matches
Lord’s, often referred to as ‘The Home of Cricket’, is a ground in St John’s Wood, London, that’s hosted matches since 1814. The annual Test cricket matches attract keen fans of the sport as well as those simply seeking to enjoy the quintessentially English atmosphere. It also an opportunity to dress up as jackets and ties must be worn in the Pavilion. An event definitely worth adding to your 2022 social season calendar.
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